KENDALL, Fla. – Celebrity barber and entrepreneur Christopher Betancourt is revisiting his childhood dreams by investing in a new indoor soccer facility in Kendall called Futbol Fever, which he promises offers a unique experience to soccer players and fans in the area.
“From our distinguishing black turf to our surround sound, TVs and camera system that records all games, we try to create a memorable experience to everyone that walks in our doors,” he told Local 10 News.
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The newly opened Futbol Fever facility is located at 14251 SW 120th St.
As a child, Betancourt, 33, played soccer and had hopes of one day making it big in the sport, but he said his dream was short-lived when he ultimately mastered a different talent – barbering.
“Although I played consistently every week, I never thought soccer would ever play a big role in my life again. That wasn’t until my college buddy, Ricky Ramirez, walked into the barbershop after years of not coming to me for a cut,” Betancourt said. “He told me he was planning on opening an indoor soccer facility. I quickly jumped on board and not long after, Futbol Fever was born.”
Betancourt has worked as a barber for 18 years now, and his clients include many celebrities from reality TV stars to world-renowned athletes, including French soccer player Paul Pogba, who plays for Premier League club Manchester United and the France national team.
Betancourt said he hopes to use his connections in the sports world to bring some of his clients and other athletes to Futbol Fever, and ultimately plans to run his barbering business in the facility full-time.
“Our main goal when opening up Futbol Fever was to make it as unique as possible,” Betancourt said. “We designed it to look completely different from other traditional fields by adding a modern and elegant touch.”
Currently, the 8,000-square-foot facility is not only being used to host soccer matches, but is also being used to host birthday parties, yoga sessions, soccer watch parties and other private events.
“We also partnered with a soccer academy called Twelfth to run their Future Stars program, which is for all skill levels ages 3-9, Monday-Thursday,” Betancourt said. “The program’s next cycle begins mid-January.”
Looking to the future, Betancourt and Ramirez hope to open multiple Futbol Fever facilities around the country, as well as create an apparel line.
“From the beginning, we have always had the goal to build a brand with Futbol Fever,” Betancourt said. “We know that there will be other opportunities down the road and partnerships with other like-minded organizations that will continue to add to the Futbol Fever brand, and we are excited to see where it all goes.”